the new tenniscoats record is lovely. they ought to have a thread. i think we're edging away from edgy. eddie marcon, two of lsd march, are really great. there's a new nagisa ni te lp, and shogu tokamaru's touring. i trust monorail music for albums of the month with a japanese theme.
― schlump, Monday, 6 October 2008 12:50 (fifteen years ago) link
The new Zazen Boys album has been out for about a month now, and it is bananas:
― telepathy_rock!, Wednesday, 8 October 2008 01:21 (fifteen years ago) link
http://www.last.fm/group/Japanese+Indie
― "Chameleon Man" (PappaWheelie V), Tuesday, 11 November 2008 17:35 (fifteen years ago) link
what is the feeling here (if any) about yura yura teikoku
love em. especially the live album. "sweet spot" is pretty good but more subdued than I expected, I like when they freak out more
does Nisennenmondai have an album? or a single? I've only heard their track on the first Million Tongues comp
huh looks like they have a couple EPs and a bunch of CDRshttp://www.nisennenmondai.com/discography-e.html
― dmr, Tuesday, 11 November 2008 17:43 (fifteen years ago) link
what is Bump of Chicken considered to be?
― the sir weeze, Tuesday, 11 November 2008 18:00 (fifteen years ago) link
new midori hirano is lovely
― keythkeyth, Wednesday, 12 November 2008 02:14 (fifteen years ago) link
http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/record_review/146854-nisennenmondai-neji-tori
― dmr, Saturday, 15 November 2008 16:49 (fifteen years ago) link
Instant Cytron
― The New Herb Stempel (PappaWheelie V), Saturday, 22 November 2008 14:51 (fifteen years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xb12tEVqVx8
― the heart is a lonely hamster (schlump), Sunday, 21 June 2009 19:37 (fourteen years ago) link
I loved LushRush, is it on the same label, Noble?
― MaresNest, Sunday, 21 June 2009 22:58 (fourteen years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=57LboHngkn4
that sounds very cornelius produced, were they "together" at some point? Milk Rock (Cornelius remix) - Takako Minekawa is great as well
also digging Tenniscoats, 坂本龍一 + 嶺川貴子, and supercar is getting even better after repeated listenings
― messiahwannabe, Tuesday, 23 June 2009 09:53 (fourteen years ago) link
Aside from her first album possibly, everything Takako Minekawa has ever recorded is mindblowingly awesome.
I got a couple of albums by Seagull Screaming Kiss Her Kiss Her and they were pretty cool. The "17" record is wonderful and stripped down 90s experimental j-rock. They made a LP-length video for it called "Motorhead and Drive Video" and I recently transferred my copy and put a few videos on youtube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dlHWaOuxyvc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_L85N0CrrI
― Adam Bruneau, Sunday, 28 June 2009 01:38 (fourteen years ago) link
the most recent midor hirano is on noble. it's similar to lushrush, possibly more spare? strategic.
― keythkeythkeyth, Sunday, 28 June 2009 02:51 (fourteen years ago) link
If you like Takako Minekawa seek out some Tomoe Shinohara, Nagisa Cosmetic or Paris Match
― MaresNest, Sunday, 28 June 2009 17:18 (fourteen years ago) link
This is pretty good (fresh from hearing it for the first time thanks to Tesla over at Electric Mole):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-qpQoirfcLo
There's also a Candy Says cover:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZmA4GfEuRxg
― _Rudipherous_, Saturday, 20 November 2010 17:12 (thirteen years ago) link
new tenniscoats forthcoming:http://blog.tenniscoats.com/images/tokinouta_600.jpg.400px.png
i don't think there's ever been much discussion of them on here?, but i get a lot out of them, particularly the record with secai.
― your LiveJournal experience (schlump), Monday, 11 April 2011 11:08 (thirteen years ago) link
Support the love for tenniscoats.
No Boris?
― Moka, Monday, 11 April 2011 15:14 (thirteen years ago) link
couldnt find a relevant thread to post this in since there isnt a thread of lo-fi japanese test card music that dissolves into atonal guitar harmonics & broken down tape echos but anyhoo, this whole album is such a joy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ei6o6uc6gOU
― fuhgeddaboudit! (missingNO), Thursday, 20 November 2014 17:53 (nine years ago) link
the boy who cried fantanto
― imago, Thursday, 20 November 2014 17:58 (nine years ago) link
nah I'll give it a listen or 0.02
im not trying to be your friend
― fuhgeddaboudit! (missingNO), Thursday, 20 November 2014 18:00 (nine years ago) link
I was wondering if there was a suitable thread for people to paste up some new(ish) JP music that was outside the Idol/J-Pop/Dance music sphere, it could be noisy, poppy, whatever and I guess this thread fits. let's enjoy Japan!
385 (sanhachigo)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PWweM9eaxg4
Spangle Call Lilli Linehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h2FxhiY7qGg
Skillkillshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DgnhxYSvd10
― Here Come The Felas (MaresNest), Sunday, 6 December 2015 20:40 (eight years ago) link
Going to have to work my way through this thread at some point.
But for now, here's this
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQc-2bBmdfw&ab_channel=Motfd
― ultros ultros-ghali, Monday, 7 December 2015 23:59 (eight years ago) link
https://burnyourhometown.wordpress.com/ / "Travels in Japanese underground music"
― dylannn, Tuesday, 8 December 2015 10:34 (eight years ago) link
Thanks for that link dylannn, some friends and I have a little net radio show that goes out every fortnight and I try to find new or newish J music, blogs like that and makebelievemelodies.com are a total godsend because research minus the ability to read kanji can be a bit of a headache.
― Here Come The Felas (MaresNest), Tuesday, 8 December 2015 13:30 (eight years ago) link
I'm beginning to think that Coaltar of the Deepers were the best band of all time
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IaFA7EUYnxI&ab_channel=NorioMusicChannel
RYM genre tags for their Penguin EP: death metal, shoegaze
― space prophet wogan (ultros ultros-ghali), Thursday, 17 March 2016 17:54 (eight years ago) link
How are there no results when I keyword search Shugo Tokumaru? Love the two albums of his I own: Night Piece and L.S.T.
― Evan, Thursday, 17 March 2016 18:14 (eight years ago) link
Croissant chicago are my favourite thing at the moment, a weird, jangly, floaty [mildly shoegaze] band with John McGeoch on guitar and the Hatsune Miku vocaloid program doing all the vocals, it's immense.
https://croissantchicago.bandcamp.com/album/people
― MaresNest, Thursday, 17 March 2016 18:16 (eight years ago) link
Excuse me but may I just shill once more for my radio show, now we have an archive - https://www.mixcloud.com/JapanAlternativeSessions/
― MaresNest, Thursday, 17 March 2016 18:18 (eight years ago) link
Evan, I really recommend Port Entropy by Shugo, it's so good.
― MaresNest, Thursday, 17 March 2016 18:21 (eight years ago) link
Thanks! I've definitely been meaning to...
― Evan, Thursday, 17 March 2016 18:27 (eight years ago) link
Aight let's post some more bits I've been listening to:
Sayuu
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9dyVEBOFxHg
Downy [covering This Heat]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wp8tgrI5U_E
Clammbon
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xIsAQQ7jBJE
― MaresNest, Thursday, 17 March 2016 18:41 (eight years ago) link
Gesu No Kiwami Otomoe
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AhbBT-pQPxk
Atlantis Airport
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J6Bp3zr2Dlc
Haisuinonasa
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cT8mSZBJzJA
― MaresNest, Thursday, 17 March 2016 18:44 (eight years ago) link
this is pretty rad https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=53mOa0B3nN4
there seems to be lots of great japanese indie and psychedelic rock - can anyone point towards some choice compilations / playlists / threads?
― niels, Friday, 6 January 2017 19:05 (seven years ago) link
doesn't even have to be new what's up w this
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HKY38Nx8dSo
― niels, Wednesday, 25 January 2017 21:58 (seven years ago) link
well if we want to talk old stuff i like the '80s comp "welcome to dreamland - another japan". what else have i been enjoying... luxembourg kouen, which is a japanese musette group. early '80s hardcore band the stalin. rosa luxemburg, mid '80s, sounds kind of like james chance and the contortions. hiroyuki namba's "hikousen no ue synthesizer hiki". the most recent ichiko aoba record. hoppy kamiyama's optical*8 from the '90s. i don't know it's none of it shibuya-kei like kirinji or whatever (i also love kirinji) but that's the japanese stuff i've been listening to.
― increasingly bonkers (rushomancy), Thursday, 26 January 2017 00:56 (seven years ago) link
oh! and pale cocoon. have you heard pale cocoon? somebody made an anime named for them. the anime is really good. so is the band.
― increasingly bonkers (rushomancy), Thursday, 26 January 2017 00:57 (seven years ago) link
I know Pale Cocoon through Soft Selection 84, which was a really good cassette comp of early 80s lo-fi synth pop.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pbo4bcl9Jss
― Pheeel, Thursday, 26 January 2017 07:22 (seven years ago) link
those are great recommendations, thanks!
― niels, Thursday, 26 January 2017 17:34 (seven years ago) link
love chelmico and their luscious jackson vibe. saw the first video playing on one of the dozens of monitors in truly mind-bending japanese variety store village vanguard:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dvA1AHKXUfY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6yiaAfAb7-0
― adam, Thursday, 26 January 2017 17:43 (seven years ago) link
ha, those are great
can't find them on Spotify - wonder if I need to spell it in japanese?
― niels, Thursday, 26 January 2017 17:48 (seven years ago) link
yeah those are nice
a lot of japanese music doesn't seem to be on spotify yet, they only got it fairly recently i think
― ufo, Friday, 27 January 2017 00:25 (seven years ago) link
I've always like this group https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0cM7dQUu1VY
― JacobSanders, Friday, 27 January 2017 00:28 (seven years ago) link
but I think they are from Hong Kong. Sorry
― JacobSanders, Friday, 27 January 2017 00:31 (seven years ago) link
I used to order from these labels: FlyRec, Rally and Noble. Gutevolk makes nice pop songs.
― JacobSanders, Friday, 27 January 2017 00:37 (seven years ago) link
The new Gesu No Kiwami Otome is wonderful! This track was already released on an EP, but I can see why they wanted to include it again:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJdNqxOykw8
― tangenttangent, Wednesday, 29 August 2018 13:06 (five years ago) link
I only know some older stuff but I love it dearly and still listen to it a ton. 800 Cherries, Corniche Chamomile, Citrus, Sugar Plant. I have a handful of stellar comps that I can't remember the names of right now but can report back on.
― Just eat a hamburger, it'll hit the spot. (Old Lunch), Wednesday, 29 August 2018 13:33 (five years ago) link
ahh 800 Cherries there's a band I haven't thought about in a long time <3
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-P9CH55838Y
― Colonel Poo, Wednesday, 29 August 2018 13:43 (five years ago) link
i'm so hyped about the new gesu no kiwami otome, they're one of my favorite bands right now
yesterday i was checking out haru nemuri's first album, i'm liking it, will have to listen more. she put out an ep called "atom heart mother" last year, which i'll also have to check out - just the title is from floyd i think
― Arch Bacon (rushomancy), Wednesday, 29 August 2018 14:10 (five years ago) link
I liked the harunemuri too - need to listen to that again. I only discovered GNKO with the last album, but they've been on regular rotation since - it suits so many moods! I love all their retro organ sounds.
'Youtopia' by You'll Melt More! was a favourite of mine from last year though it's more straight up pop-punk than indie:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hzc1xhQUlTs
― tangenttangent, Wednesday, 29 August 2018 16:50 (five years ago) link
Ha, I love that. That pace shift really gets in your head!
― Le Bateau Ivre, Tuesday, 17 December 2019 18:17 (four years ago) link
this is messing with my brain
― frogbs, Tuesday, 17 December 2019 18:18 (four years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OdQk3rMnU9M
beautifully bonkers
― afriendlypioneer, Monday, 27 January 2020 20:05 (four years ago) link
this is awesome, thanks
― culture of mayordom (voodoo chili), Monday, 27 January 2020 20:58 (four years ago) link
I hope there's more to come. I've been playing the hell out of Endangered Species over the last couple weeks and it is a fantastic record.
― afriendlypioneer, Thursday, 30 January 2020 16:59 (four years ago) link
japanese indie mp3 store and stream, looks to be tenniscoats-focused and -run https://minnakikeru.com/
some interesting stuff
― adam, Monday, 16 November 2020 21:20 (three years ago) link
I love this band so much -
https://croissantchicago.bandcamp.com/album/crankshaft
― Maresn3st, Friday, 4 December 2020 16:20 (three years ago) link
This is great. You would probably like a lot of other stuff in the vocaloid scene.
― Allen (etaeoe), Friday, 4 December 2020 18:51 (three years ago) link
if you can point me to bands that use it but aren't J-Pop, Techno or more traditional vocaloid music, I'd be super interested to hear.
― Maresn3st, Friday, 4 December 2020 23:01 (three years ago) link
two recent singles from AprilBlue who sound kind of like the Beths but with a bit of a shoegaze thing going on:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ycnxITz8LpUAprilBlue - Clarity
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZiOPbeOgPkoAprilBlue - シーサイド
― o shit the sheriff (NickB), Monday, 8 November 2021 17:19 (two years ago) link
If I may shill for myself and my friends for one sec.
Japan Alternative Sessions, a radio show I started a few years back has been reactivated, it's not just indie/alt we cover as much ground as possible, old and new music. The plan is to do a 2 hour+ show once a month and put it out on Mixcloud and YouTube or wherever else we can.
This is the latest edition:
https://www.mixcloud.com/JapanAlternativeSessions/japan-alternative-sessions-edition-70/
― Maresn3st, Sunday, 26 December 2021 12:53 (two years ago) link
Stumbled across this little gem today, really great debut, for fans of Clammbon, Tricot, Spangle Call Lilli Line etc:
https://ungulatestokyo.bandcamp.com/album/ungl-009-downt-downt
― Maresn3st, Saturday, 8 January 2022 16:05 (two years ago) link